Starlit Anniversary
by Jadet
Summary: This is my second attempt at a R.K ficcy: It's the one year anniversary of when Kenshin met Kaoru and all of his friends are acting strange for some reason... Are they going to ask him to leave? ^.~


Disclaimers: I don't own any of Rurouni Kenshin's characters nor do I claim to have   
done so. I am only writing this for pure enjoyment and 'cause Kenshin and Kaoru are   
sooooooo cute!!  
  
Authors Notes: I really don't know where this idea came from. I've been toying with so   
many ideas since I've become RK obsessed but so far this is the only one that I've been   
able to write that sounds somewhat decent. And since I just got done watching my very   
own 3rd tape (aren't I impressive? I own three tapes of RK!!!) I'm still in giddy,   
kawaii K+K mode! Hope this is an okay second fic! Oh and I apologize ahead of time if I write something incorrectly, I'm learning. Really! If I have totally screwed up something point it out and I'll try to fix it. And if they really did do something for the one-year anniversary thingy for Kenshin, just ignore that.... (Remember I'm learning!) Thanks! ^.~  
  
========================================================================================  
Starlit Anniversary  
By Jadet  
A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic  
Copyright 01'   
========================================================================================  
  
His friends were acting strange. Well stranger than usual that is. Kenshin turned his   
head from doing laundry just in time to catch Yahiko running across the yard yet again   
with a mysterious bundle in his arms. Shifting confused violet eyes slightly he also   
caught the black swirl of smoke coming from the kitchen where Kaoru was attempting to   
cook.  
  
[I wonder what they all are doing?] Kenshin wondered, shifting his gaze back to the tub   
in front of him. Absently he pushed back a strand of crimson hair from his face,   
leaving a trail of soapsuds on his cheek. [Kaoru-dono, Yahiko, and Sano have been   
acting very peculiar for the last few days.]   
  
Kenshin immersed his hands back in the water and began to scrub at the linen, letting   
his thoughts wander as the familiar motion of cleaning took over.   
  
[What could be making them all act so strange?]  
  
Ten minutes later, satisfied that the linen was going to be as white as it could be,   
Kenshin leaned back on his heels and stood up. Taking both ends in his hands, he wrung   
it, watching distantly as the remaining water leaked from the linen. With practiced   
motions he shook it out thoroughly before stretching it out on the clothesline. He   
repeated the procedure until the last sheet was flapping gently in the wind.  
  
[Well at least the laundry is done] Kenshin thought, a satisfied smile on his face. In   
the bright light of the sun the waving sheets on the clothesline sparkled and reminded   
him of butterflies. Drying his hands on his hakama, Kenshin stooped to grab the laundry   
basket.  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
Kenshin blinked and turned, the basket cradled in his arms. "Hai Kaoru-dono?"  
  
She stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a thoughtful frown on her face. Smiling a bit   
blissfully, Kenshin allowed his eyes to skim over her. She was wearing one of his   
favorite kimono's today, a dark blue with purple and pink sakura petals dancing across   
it in an intricate design. Her raven hair was pulled back in its customary ponytail and   
tied back with a light violet ribbon. If he were any good with words he would have told   
her how beautiful she looked. Unfortunately however, he *was* horrible with words and   
would most likely only end up making her mad.  
  
Kenshin sighed inwardly. [But Sessha shouldn't really be looking in the first place] he   
admonished, making sure to keep the blank smile on his face. He didn't want to worry   
her over his bad tendency to wish for some things he couldn't have. [Kaoru-dono really   
is kirei though. She's going to make some worthy man very happy.]  
  
And that was the problem. A large part of Kenshin didn't want some other man to see her   
smiles, to hear her laugh that was as musical as it was hypnotic. It was a very selfish   
thought, he knew that all too well, but just the threat of it made him cold. As cold as   
the fear that he felt whenever she was in danger. Kenshin shook his head.  
  
[Kaoru-dono deserves someone other than I. Someone who could offer her a lot more than a former hitokiri turned rurouni. I am just being silly again.]  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
Kenshin blinked and focused back on the situation. [She must have been talking to me   
while I was thinking!] An embarrassed flush spread across Kenshin's face, and he put a   
hand behind his head.  
  
"Gomen, Kaoru-dono, I guess I was just thinking about something. Was there something you wanted?"  
  
Kaoru crinkled up her face in exasperation, blowing a stand of hair away from her   
forehead. For some reason Kenshin found that expression very cute. Maybe he was just   
as strange as his friends....  
  
"Mou Kenshin! I asked if you could go down to the Akabeko and pick up some things from Tae-san!" Kaoru shook her head, indigo eyes creasing slightly. Kenshin found himself blinking again.  
  
"Oro?" [I wonder why she isn't sending Yahiko to do it. Normally she sends him down   
there because she knows Tsubame-dono is there, so why...?]  
  
Kaoru blushed under Kenshin's wide gaze, lowering her eyes to the ground. Her hands   
found her sleeve and she fiddled with it. "I need Yahiko to help me with some things   
here, if that's all right."  
  
[She's acting strange again....] Kenshin shrugged mentally. He would do it because she   
asked him to, it didn't really matter why. He would do anything for her.  
  
"Daijoubu, I'll go as soon as I put these away. Is that all right Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru, he noticed, blushed again. How strange. "Hai, arigatou Kenshin. Take your time   
okay?"  
  
He blinked for a third time. "Hai... Kaoru-dono, are you feeling all right?"  
  
Finally the Kaoru he knew came to the surface, face red and huffing. He winced in   
preparation.   
  
"Of course I am! I'm perfectly fine. Can't a girl say 'take your time' without being asked if she's all right?! Mou!" Turning around, she stomped back into the kitchen and   
slid the screen shut with an audible smack.  
  
Kenshin cracked one eye open after her angry footsteps faded, concern lighting his   
violet eye. [Even her angry self isn't being normal. I wonder what's wrong?] Chewing   
on that worry, Kenshin turned back to the house and swiftly put all the clean laundry   
back in their rightful places, all the while thinking up various reasons why she wasn't   
acting herself.   
  
[Is she sick?] That sent a chill down his spine but Kenshin immediately pushed it aside.   
No, he would have noticed if she hadn't been eating properly or if she had a fever.   
[It could be it's -what did Megumi-dono call it? - that time of the month...] Turning   
slightly red, again Kenshin pushed that explanation aside. Kaoru hadn't been more angry than usual. The truth was she had been too quiet these last few days, almost withdrawn. More worrisome rather than dreaded, so she wasn't in 'that time of the month'.  
  
He was still trying to figure out what was going on as he walked out of the dojo gates,   
absentmindedly fingering his sakabatou. A sudden thought made him stop in the middle of the path.  
  
[Or maybe she's angry with me?] A much larger chill than the previous one crawled down his spine into his stomach, twisting painfully. That could explain why she had been avoiding him lately and why she always found a reason for him to leave the dojo. Maybe she was trying to tell him to leave but felt too guilty to actually put to him that   
request so she was finding another, quieter way to tell him to leave without hurting   
him. That would be like Kaoru.  
  
Kenshin slumped his shoulders, shadows falling over his eyes. That had to be it. Kaoru   
didn't want him around anymore. And he could understand why too. He had been telling   
her all this time that just by living with her he put her in danger because of his past.   
Before she had just shrugged what he said aside and said it didn't matter to her. Now   
she must have changed her mind.   
  
Pain lanced through his heart and Kenshin bit his lower lip, clenching the hilt of his   
sword. That was probably also why Yahiko and Sano had been acting strange too. They   
were distancing themselves. But that didn't hurt nearly as much as it did with Kaoru.   
He realized he had come to depend on her accepting his past and him and it hurt, really   
hurt, that his biggest fear had come true. He would have to leave.  
  
And he would. He would leave. He could never cause Kaoru unhappiness. If it made her happy having him gone, he could not refuse her that.  
  
Pounding steps on the path behind him made him turn around just in time to find Yahiko   
racing to catch him. Yahiko stopped in front of him in a whirlwind of dust and put his   
hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Pushing aside all his thoughts into a   
corner of his mind, Kenshin adopted a questioning look on his face.  
  
"Yahiko? Daijoubu?"  
  
Yahiko nodded his head and gulped more air before raising his head. "Good... thing... I   
caught... you... before... you got... to... Akabeko."   
  
Kenshin merely raised his eyebrows.  
  
Still gulping air, Yahiko reached into his shirt and pulled out a folded note. "Kaoru   
wanted me to tell you to give this to Tae-san."  
  
Kenshin grabbed the note and put it safely in his shirt. "Arigatou de gozaru yo. Are   
you all right now?"  
  
Yahiko grinned and hit one fist against his chest. "'Course! Busu runs me harder than   
that every day!"  
  
"Saa," Kenshin smiled, and shook his head. "Well thank you for giving me the note.   
Tell Kaoru-dono I will make sure that Tae-dono receives it."  
  
"Will do!" Turning back around, Yahiko began to jog back to the dojo. Kenshin watched   
until Yahiko ran around the bend before hesitantly reaching in his shirt for the note.   
Normally he wouldn't even consider reading Kaoru's personal notes, but a twinge of   
desperation made him unfold it and read.  
  
Tae-san,  
  
We will be doing it tonight. Remember,  
don't say anything to Kenshin okay? Arigatou!  
  
Kaoru-san  
  
Sadness weighed at his heart as Kenshin refolded the note and stuck it back in his   
shirt. Tonight she would ask him to leave, personally most likely. That was why she   
requested Tae-dono not to hint at anything. Kenshin dipped his head to allow the   
curtain of his hair to hide his eyes. Tonight. Kami-sama, he wished tonight would   
never come.  
  
~*~  
  
Just as he expected, Tae didn't let a single thought show on her face when he delivered   
the message. She only nodded before moving into the back room and returning with a few carefully wrapped boxes. She handed them to Kenshin before clasping her hands in front of her and smiling gently.  
  
"Now you tell Kaoru-chan not to worry about these all right?"  
  
Kenshin nodded mutely, shifting the boxes so that they rested in the crook of his arm.   
Sadly he bowed low. "Arigatou gozaimasu for everything Tae-dono." Surprised she bowed back.  
  
"You're most welcome Himura-san. Come back soon."  
  
Kenshin inclined his head before walking out, his eyes shadowed by his flame red hair   
again. He doubted he would come back after he left. There were too many memories in   
there. But he said goodbye in the only way he knew how. Being a rurouni, he was very   
good at indirect goodbyes.  
  
Painfully he walked back to the dojo, letting his feet drag slightly. He didn't really   
want to go back so that he could leave again but he promised to fetch these things for   
Kaoru. He would deliver them as promised and then he would leave. For good this time.  
  
Ignoring the pain at that thought, Kenshin pushed open the gate, stopping to look for a   
moment. The dying red glow of the light dappled the dojo a faint pink as the sounds of   
birds settling down for the night danced with the breeze. Just above the house, stars   
had just begun to shine, twinkling almost merrily. The sheets still on the clothesline   
only seemed to add to the majestic feel as they fluttered in the wind. If he looked   
hard enough he could see little Suzume and Ayame running around in circles laughing   
while off to the side Kaoru and Yahiko practiced, Sano lounging on the porch bantering with Megumi. So many memories, all of which he held close to his heart. It was home.  
  
[Home] Kenshin thought sadly. He had thought this would be his home for good this time. This beautiful place, full of joy and laughter, had comforted him in his memories in   
Kyoto. Now they would have to comfort him again during the cold nights to come.   
  
Kenshin sighed and shut the gate behind him, turning to walk towards the kitchen. The   
house and dojo were eerily silent but Kenshin knew they were all here. The house had   
that certain feel whenever they were home, a feel he would most certainly miss.  
  
Quietly Kenshin slid the door to the kitchen open and moved inside, closing it silently   
behind him. Now that he was inside he could hear the soft murmur of voices in the next   
room. They hushed when they heard the almost silent noise of him moving around.   
  
Kenshin sighed again and placed the packages down on the counter before turning towards the door.   
  
[I might as well get this done now so that I don't cause them any more discomfort]   
Kenshin thought gloomily. He walked the few steps to the door, slid it open...  
  
...and was hit in the face by confetti.  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin yelped as he fought for balance and lost to gravity, falling onto his   
butt.   
  
All around Kenshin lanterns and candles suddenly blazed to life and highlighted the   
rooms party decorations. On the ground in front of him dishes of every food dreamed by   
a starving man decorated dozens of plates. Jugs of sake lined the far wall, reflecting   
some of the light into his eyes. Brightly colored streamers of some kind went from one   
corner to another while equally bright confetti littered the floor. Blinking, Kenshin   
looked up to see all of his friends dressed in their finery, grinning down at him.  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin repeated. What in the world was going on?  
  
Kaoru kneeled down next to him and smiled softly. "Happy one year anniversary Kenshin."  
  
"Yeah happy one year anniversary Kenshin!" Yahiko and Sano chorused, grinning like   
idiots at the dazed expression on their friend's face. Megumi, Gensei-sensei, and the   
girls also repeated it. Well to the best of their drunken or childlike ability anyway.  
  
Kenshin turned his head from side to side, trying to figure out what was going on. He   
finally turned to Kaoru who was still kneeling by his side, a happy smile on her face.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, what's going on?"  
  
Kaoru giggled softly. "It's been one full year since we met and you came here Kenshin,   
don't you remember?"  
  
[It has? But it doesn't seem like that much time has passed....] He thought with a   
confused and slightly distant look in his eyes. But if that is what the party is about,   
then what about....  
  
"You mean you're not going to ask me to leave?" Kenshin blurted suddenly, desperate. He watched as Kaoru's face acquired a confused look.  
  
"Huh? Where did you get that Kenshin?"  
  
Kenshin flushed abruptly, looking down with a sheepish expression on his face. "Well   
the note to Tae-dono and all of you acting strange and avoiding me...." Kenshin trailed   
off when he noticed the rising anger in Kaoru's eyes. Uh oh. Kenshin looked down   
again, shame faced. "Gomen nasai."   
  
"Kenshin no baka!" Kaoru growled, bopping him on the head just a little harder than   
usual. Kenshin looked up slowly to see Kaoru giving him a steady glare and he shrunk a   
little. "Why would you think such a horrible thing? You're part of this family! We   
would never, ever, ask you to do such a thing! Or do we want to!"  
  
"Yeah!" Yahiko and Sano once again chorused. Kaoru shot them a glare too before looking back into Kenshin's hesitant gaze.  
  
"The reason we have been acting a little strange lately is because we were planning this   
party for you, that's all. Do you understand now? This is all for you. Why would we   
want you to leave if we went through this much trouble for you?" Kaoru explained, her   
indigo blue eyes shining a bit with tears.   
  
Kenshin felt his heart twist a little in his chest, but it wasn't the heart wrenching   
agony that he had felt earlier. She was right, he should have known better. He just   
must have more doubts about himself than he ever had guessed.  
  
"Gomen, Sessha had no excuse to think that...."  
  
Kaoru stopped him with a gentle finger against his lips then moved to cup his cheek   
lightly in her palm.  
  
"Daijoubu Kenshin. I'm sorry you thought that. But I'm not sorry you came into our   
lives, my life," Kaoru whispered, a single tear slipping from her eye to run down her   
cheek in a caress. Kenshin watched with fascination at the emotions that flashed across   
her face and felt the soft warmth of her hand on his cheek. [Oh koishii....] "I'm glad   
you came into my life Kenshin. So very, very glad."  
  
Kenshin finally returned her smile. Pulling her hand gently away from his cheek, he   
brought it to his lips softly and looked meaningfully into her eye, willing her to see how his next words were true.   
  
"Hai de gozaru. Me too."  
  
Kaoru blushed and smiled. "Let's go enjoy your party, ne Kenshin?"  
  
"Aa," Kenshin affirmed and allowed Kaoru to help pull him up. He kept a firm hold on   
her hand all night long, even after he didn't need to anymore. If anyone noticed they   
didn't say anything.  
  
Later after everyone had gone to sleep, some from the extreme amount of sake consumed, others from pure exhaustion, Kenshin and Kaoru sat on the steps outside, admiring the stars. With a gentleness that belied his nervousness, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and felt her cuddle against his side.  
  
Kenshin let out a sigh of contentment and lay his cheek against Kaoru's hair, deciding   
something very important. He chuckled lightly at the thought. If this was the result   
of his friends, of her, acting so strange, he would gladly accept the consequences.   
[Arigatou, koishii. Aishiteru]  
  
Kaoru smiled at the sigh and snuggled deeper into Kenshin's embrace, a dream that had   
looked so far away finally coming true. And it was even better than she imagined.   
[Aishiteru anata]  
  
"Happy anniversary Kenshin."  
  
"Happy anniversary Kaoru."  
  
And together their first year anniversary of meeting and being with each other was spent   
under the star lit sky in each other's arms.   
  
~Owari~   
  
Japanese Glossary  
  
-dono = miss  
Hai = yes  
Aa = another version of yes, Kenshin style  
hakama = What Kenshin wears  
Sessha = "I" Kenshin style, "this unworthy one"  
hitokiri = manslayer  
rurouni = wanderer  
Gomen (nasai) = I'm sorry, I'm really sorry  
Mou = an exclamation of frustration, "jeez!"  
Oro = huh?  
Daijoubu = "are you all right?" "It's okay" "I'm okay"  
Arigatou (gozaimasu) = thank you (very much)  
sakabatou = Kenshin's reverse blade sword  
busu = ugly, Yahiko's nickname for Kaoru  
Saa = kinda like an "ahh" only can be used to calm down murderous Kenshin-gumi  
gumi = group  
Kami-sama = God  
de gozaru yo = Kenshin's speech which kinda mean "that is so" or "that it is" ect.  
ne = huh, used like "lets go do this huh?"  
Aishiteru = I love you  
koishii = beloved, darling  
anata = "you" or used as an endearment between wife to husband  



End file.
